Some surgical grafting procedures require that a graft be attached to a bone in a very specific location. For example, where an edge or a face of a graft is to be aligned with an edge or a face of a bone to which the graft is to be coupled to provide a bearing surface across the graft and the bone, alignment must be precise. In such circumstances, a system and method for reliably and accurately placing the graft is needed. One example of such a situation is a Latarjet protocol procedure, which requires that one or more holes be drilled into a severed piece of a coracoid graft and a glenoid. The respective hole or holes must align such that placing one or more fasteners through the one or more holes will fix a lateral edge of the coracoid graft flush with an articular surface of the glenoid. The accurate placement of the one or more drill holes is critical to a successful alignment in a Latarjet protocol procedure and many other procedures.
It would be advantageous to provide surgical instruments that provide for controlled placement of one or more holes through a graft and that provide for accurate measurement of the one or more holes as placed relative to portions of a graft to be aligned with a bone to which the graft is to be coupled. The instrument or instruments for enabling controlled placement of the holes may be separate from the instrument or instruments for accurately measuring placement of the one or more holes. It may be further advantageous to provide a method that enable a surgeon to keep the graft separated from the bone to which the graft is to be coupled while one or more holes for fasteners are created in the bone so that a clear view of the tissue into which a hole is being created may be maintained during drilling. Some improved embodiments may include a collection or kit of multiple instruments and may also include implants. Such a collection or kit may promote efficient performance of graft alignment surgical procedures, such as but not limited to, Latarjet protocol procedures.